• Senior SLMC officials called to SOC to face inquiry about Dr Haq  

 The Sri Lanka Medical Council (SLMC) has decided to extend the suspension imposed on controversial Judicial Medical Officer (JMO) Dr. Ruhul Haq, who was recently sent on compulsory leave by the Ministry of Health, The Daily Morning learns.

Sources close to the matter within the SLMC told The Daily Morning that the professional body may even impose an indefinite suspension until all inquiries against the troubled medical officer have ended.

Haq sparked controversy as it was revealed that he had continued to function as a JMO, and conduct postmortem examinations despite having been suspended from exercising his rights, privileges and immunities as a medical practitioner, for eight months by the Professional Conduct Committee (PCC) of the SLMC.

Following several controversial findings about his practice, including by the justiciable system, the Health Ministry recently sent him on compulsory leave, until the relevant investigations against him conclude.

Against this backdrop, it had been suggested that an emergency meeting of the SLMC’s PCC be held during the SLMC's council members' meeting late last week, The Daily Morning learns.

Highly placed sources within the SLMC told The Daily Morning that the PCC had met last Friday (26), during which the decision to extend the suspension imposed on Haq had been taken. According to the source PCC may decide not to reinstate Haq until the relevant investigations into allegations that have been levelled against him are concluded.

Following the revelation that Haq had continued to practise despite the SLMC-imposed suspension, several concerned parties had questioned how he continued to hold office, and conduct postmortem examinations. Allegations of preparing postmortem reports with contradictory findings with regard to the deaths of former businessman Dinesh Schaffter and Hamdi Faslin who died on 28 July at the Lady Ridgeway Hospital for Children (LRH) due to an infection following a kidney surgery, have been levelled against him.

When The Daily Morning contacted Haq on 23 August and queried as to whether he would initiate any form of action regarding the allegations that have been levelled against him, he said: "Don't you all have any other issue to be covered for news? You all are madmen who find other people's trash. Go and ask about the suspension from the Health Ministry or the SLMC."

It is further learnt that SLMC Members including its President Prof. Vajira H.W. Dissanayake have been summoned before the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Health today (28). Sources within the Committee told The Daily Morning that they (SLMC members) are to be inquired about matters pertaining to Haq.

Attempts to contact SLMC President Prof. Dissanayake regarding the decision, and why Haq’s non – compliance was not flagged earlier, failed.